top six stories for the last two weeks (or so)

CMLL appears to have lost their Televisa TV slot. Their show has not aired the last two weeks, with Box Y Lucha reporting the show was canceled for low ratings. (It’s plausible, but Televisa is sticking very frequently rerun programming in it’s place, which seems very unlikely to be doing a better number.) CMLL appears to have been caught totally caught off guard, losing the first half of the Universal tournament in the process. They have expanded their internet streaming broadcasts to Fridays, but that’s no substitute for an over the air show on one of the biggest stations in the nation. AAA has been aired as scheduled, despite not being listed on Televisa’s programming guide the last two weeks.

Hiroshi Tanahashi won the annual CMLL Universal championship, defeating Okumura (a sub for strongly pushed young tecnico Diamante Azul), strongly pushed young rudo Dragon Rojo, top young tecnico Sombra (via distraction) and top young tecnico/rudo/whatever Rush. It was a strangely booked tournament unless there’s some big payback coming back for CMLL. The Rush/Tanahashi match was a struggle for two falls but picked up at the end.

CMLL concluded it’s build to the 80th Anniversary show. The big in-ring additions are the Revolucionarios vs Estetas trios title match and the Negro Casas, Shocker, Terrible versus Marco Corleone, Rush, Vangelis relevos increibles match (where Rush’s mindset is in question.) The big out of the ring news is the show airing live on Terra.mx, which appeared to be a decision made even before the TV issues came up. CMLL has built the individual Atlantis/UG, Sombra/Volador and Panther/Averno feuds strongly, with the rudos winning most of the time in the mask feuds and Panther defeating Averno just about every time in their issue.

AAA continued it’s slow build to Heroes Inmortales announced to be 10/18 in Puebla, somewhat competing against a WWE show in Mexico City that night.) Psycho Clown finally beat Texano Jr. in a trios match where Psycho Clown could only beat Texano Jr. and would never get a title shot if he lost. Elsewhere on the cards, AAA continued a three way feud between La Secta, Perros del Mal and AAA tecnicos and may secretly be doing a tag team tournament. Dinastia and Mini Abismo agreed to a minis title match, but that one takes place before AAA’s next major show.

CMLL’s 09/01 show, with a scheduled main event of Atlantis vs Tanahashi, was canceled due to a ongoing series of teacher’s strikes. The strikes threatened other shows and may have affected attendance.

WWE announced a return to Mexico in mid October, hitting Queretaro, Guadalajara, Mexico City (on a Friday) and Monterrey.